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Ferrari will introduce its first ADUO-assisted power unit upgrade at the Austrian Grand Prix after being granted two upgrades this season under F1âs catch-up mechanism, having been deemed at least 4% behind the benchmark Red Bull. The team expects a performance gain, but insists it will not immediately reshuffle the competitive order. Power unit technical director Enrico Gualtieri said: âThis update is not a major step, and it will not, on its own, change the competitive order,â adding that âPerformance is built progressively, not only through hardware changes, but also through how effectively you optimise the package race by race.â
Drivers and teams are set to face extreme heat at this weekendâs Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring, with the local weather warning upgraded as the weekend goes on. A yellow warning is in place for Friday, when a maximum of 33°C is forecast, but it is set to move to an orange warning for Saturday and Sunday. Temperatures are expected to rise to 35°C on Saturday and 36°C on race day, with some forecasts suggesting it could approach 40°C.
Sky Sports F1 presenter Rachel Brookes has confirmed she has left the broadcaster, announcing on social media that she is âmoving on to exciting new venturesâ days before the Austrian Grand Prix. Brookes wrote: âI have left the Sky F1 team but F1 still has my heart & so I'll still be involved in it⌠see you at Silverstone!â She has been part of Skyâs F1 presenting line-up since it gained UK rights in 2012.
Ferrari has lined up a second ADUO power unit upgrade for 2026, with a newly designed turbocharger expected after the summer break â likely at Zandvoort or Monza â as it tries to close the gap to Mercedes. After the first ADUO checkpoint post-Montreal, FIA measurements found Ferrariâs performance deficit exceeded 4% versus the Red Bull-Ford internal combustion engine, triggering two in-season development opportunities. Ferrariâs first ADUO update is due in Austria, centred on combustion-chamber changes including a steel-alloy cylinder head and higher operating temperatures.
Max Verstappen is expected to continue talks with Red Bull over his Formula 1 future during the Austrian Grand Prix weekend, with no agreement yet reached despite his contract running to 2028. RacingNews365 reports that performance-related exit clauses have left his position beyond this season in doubt, and that discussions have included the possibility of Red Bull buying out the clause to stop it being triggered. Verstappen said earlier this month in Spain: "If there is anything new about what I'm doing, I will let you know."
Max Verstappen says Red Bullâs ânew packageâ is an âexcitingâ chance to gain lap time as the team heads to its home Austrian Grand Prix in Spielberg. Verstappen said: "We have a new package we are bringing, so it is exciting to see how much this could look to give us in lap time. Austria is of course a home Grand Prix for the team. It is a very interesting track and all of the corners are quite different, so it is really important to get a good balance out of the car."
The opening at Turn 1 on the right-hand side has been closed. New fences have been installed between Turns 1 and 2 on the left and right-hand side to protect the advertisement bridge. The barrier at the shortcut between Turn 2 and Turn 7 has been moved to a better position. An additional row of tyre barrier (double row) and Tecpro have been installed at Turn 2 on the right-hand side. The line of safety devices at Turn 4 on the right-hand side has been extended. Addition of track rejoining solution at Turn 9. The transition between Turn 9 and Turn 10 on the right-hand side is smoother (off-track). The pit wall at the beginning of the start/finish straight has been extended and the pit exit lights and speed limit sign have been moved 50 meters (anticipated). Four new pit garages have been constructed towards the Pit Entry end of the Pit Lane. As a consequence, the Pit Entry Speed Control Line is 140 metres earlier. A new Medical Centre has been constructed with a new helipad, which is on the roof of the rear building. The Pit Wall has been reconstructed opposite the new pit garages. Openings in the pit lane where the gates are situated, are highlighted with orange paint. Parts of the pit lane working area have been ground down to remove bumps. A blue line has been added outside the white line at the Turn 1 entry and at the Turn 8 exit. A new signage gantry has been installed over the track between Turn 1 and Turn 2. The steel barrier on the right-hand side at the exit of Turn 1 has been extended to the edge of the link road. A new Geobrugg barrier has been installed on the right-hand side between Turn 8 and Turn 9. A new area of asphalt has been laid at the exit of Turn 9 beyond the gravel trap, to assist cars running wide and then rejoining the track.
CIRCUIT CHANGES The steel barrier on the right-hand side at the exit of Turn 1 has been extended to the edge of the link road. A new Geobrugg barrier has been installed on the right-hand side between Turn 8 and Turn 9. A new area of asphalt has been laid at the exit of Turn 9 beyond the gravel trap, to assist cars running wide and then rejoining the track. TRACK INFO Length of lap 4.326 km Lap record 1:07.924, Oscar Piastri, McLaren, 2025 Start line / Finish line offset 0.128 km Total number of race laps 71 Total race distance 307.018 km Pitlane speed limits 80 km/h in practice, qualifying and the race
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Ferrari has confirmed it will introduce its first power unit upgrade of the season at this weekendâs Austrian Grand Prix, using its first Additional Development Upgrade Opportunities (ADUO) token on an internal combustion engine update. Power unit technical director Enrico Gualtieri said: âThe update we are bringing to Spielberg is a relatively minor oneâ. Charles Leclerc will sit out FP1 at the Red Bull Ring, with Ferrari academy driver Dino Beganovic stepping in as the team works through its mandatory rookie practice sessions.
Racing Bulls has confirmed Liam Lawson will sit out first practice at this weekendâs Austrian Grand Prix, with Red Bull junior Ayumu Iwasa driving in FP1 at the Red Bull Ring. It will be Iwasaâs second Formula 1 practice outing of 2026, after running in Isack Hadjarâs car for Red Bull in Spain.
Audi has confirmed Alpine reserve Paul Aron will take over Gabriel Bortoletoâs car for FP1 at this weekendâs Austrian Grand Prix. Aron, who previously appeared in FP1 for Sauber last year and drove for Audi earlier this month in Barcelona in place of Nico Hulkenberg, is being used as part of F1âs requirement for teams to run rookies in four practice sessions across the season. With this outing, both Bortoleto and Hulkenberg will have sat out one FP1 session each and must miss one more later in the year.
Liam Lawson says Red Bull created a false narrative that he was âmentally strugglingâ when he was dropped from the senior team after two races in 2025 and sent back to Racing Bulls. Lawson said: "The whole thing was played out to be me being mentally struggling and all this stuff, and like they were doing it to protect me. That honestly just could not be further from what it was actually like... I spent two races there, and the way it all went down was just so crazy that I honestly was like, I'm just going to pretend I never even went there."
Lewis Hamilton says his fans, family and friends ârescuedâ him during what he describes as a nightmare first season at Ferrari, when he failed to score a podium in any grand prix. Hamilton said: "I really feel like my fans really rescued me last year, my family also, and friends that stuck with me through it all, and starting into a new season, a new year, lots and lots of changes enabled in the background me to get to this position that I'm in today. I just feel a lot of gratitude, a lot of pride."
Lando Norris says it was âpretty surrealâ to see his Madame Tussauds wax figure finished, after the attraction unveiled a sculpture of the reigning F1 champion that will go on display in London from 30 June. Lando Norris said: "Seeing the figure finished and standing next to it is pretty surreal - it really is like looking at another version of me. I'm used to seeing myself in photos, videos or a reflection, but this is me in 3D. The artists have really nailed the details; it's so lifelike."
The Austrian Grand Prix weekend at the Red Bull Ring is forecast to be hot, clear and dry throughout, with no rain currently expected on any day. Friday should start warm and sunny, with air temperatures around 14-31°C, while Saturday is set to be similarly clear but hotter at roughly 15-32°C. Race day on Sunday is also expected to stay dry under clear skies, with temperatures again around 15-32°C and track temperatures potentially climbing into the low-50s.
Pirelli will bring its softest tyre range to this weekendâs Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring, with C3 as the hard, C4 as the medium and C5 as the soft amid expectations of high track temperatures.
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